The Lost King
by Kvanvoorhis79
Summary: After searching centuries for the one girl he lost, can Merlin and Addy stay together, especially since the Wild Magic has returned? It has awakened magic creatures of all sorts, including an ancient evil that not even Merlin can stop. And to top it all off, Arthur is missing! How will he cope in our world without his faithful servant? SEQUEL TO "MERLIN'S HEART
1. Chapter 1

**Alright, here it is. The first chapter in the sequel to Merlin's Heart. I have taken pains to try and get the Welsh bits as accurate as possible, but I'm sure there's probably some errors there. Feel free to comment about them in the reviews. Or about anything else. Hope you enjoy!**

The Lost King—Chapter 1

There was something strange about the wind. Despite being early December, it held all the warmth of a summer's afternoon. It started high up on the peaks of Snowdon and blew south, winding its way through the oak forests and shadowed valleys bellow. As it passed, the world was awakened with a life it had not seen since long before the age of man. It was the Wild Magic, magic free and unrestrained. It was the magic of life itself. And now, it had returned.

Consciousness flowed back into the ash and rowan trees, the elms and aspens. Like gnarled old men, they groaned and stretched their boughs. Even the rock and stone came alive, trembling and rumbling, grinding their way down the mountain. The water ran sweeter as it skipped along playfully in its brooks and rivers. The air hummed with exotic fragrances and the lilting music of nature herself.

The long-forgotten creatures of magic also sprang back into existence. _Tylwyth Tegs_, dryads, elves, and pixies danced merrily through the woods again. Giants climbed the ravines and mountains, searching for their homes of old. _Ceffyl Dŵr_ swam through the coursing waters, and galloped over waterfalls. And _p__wca__s_, playing tag among the cliffs, frightened off a pair of hikers, who had come to Snowdonia on holiday.

But it was far to the south, in the middle of a gently rolling meadow valley, that an ancient evil stirred. Long had it slept, held at bay by the priests of the Old Religion. For when it woke, no one could best it. The _Afanc_, it was called. Part demon, part dragon, it had taken scores of sorcerers versed in the strongest magics to subdue it. But now the Wild Magic was about and it had roused the imprisoned beast. Up from its watery prison of Llyn Barfog it emerged, towering far over the countryside. The smell of decomposing matter clung to its black-scaled hide. Shaking loose the tautly stretched membrane of its wings, it surveyed its surroundings. Two yellow slits of eyes watched warily for its captors, and, when none came, its snout curved into a razor-toothed smile. Over the valley, a thunderous roar of triumph and rage echoed. The _Afanc_ would have its revenge.

* * *

"Oi, Gareth! Look ad dat." The curly, grey hair captain bellowed, knocking on the cabin window and pointing far off into the distance.

The man on deck, dropped a net to the ground and peered out across the lake. "Aye, Big Tom," he yelled over the clunky trawler motor. "I see it! _Beth ydyw_?"

Tomos slowed the motor and steered his small fishing boat toward an island that he was nearly positive he had never seen before. This was greatly confusing to him, seeing as he had fished the waters here since he was a child. How could an island suddenly appear out of nowhere?

The island was small, maybe half a kilometer wide at most, vastly overgrown, and surrounded entirely by a rocky beach. The interior was a mess of ancient moss-strewn trees and choking vines. In fact, the plant life now dominated what seemed to be a ruined stone castle. Overall, it had a strange, otherworldly feel about it and Tomos was wary of getting closer.

Suddenly, Gareth gave an excited shout. "Big Tom!" The younger, fatter man yelled, waving his hands in the air. "Look! Ders someone on da beach!" His Welsh accent always thickened when he was excited by something. He pointed towards the farthest outcropping of the shore.

Tom reluctantly circled his trawler closer, until at last the man on the shore came into view. He eyed the man cautiously as he approached. The man was waving frantically at them and shouting. And for some reason, he wasn't wearing any clothes, only some strung together leaves and moss.

Gareth's eyes were big as saucers. "Tom, he's na-ked! Do ya think he's been wrecked?"

Tom scratched the curly beard that matched his hair and nodded. "Musta been. I'll pull closer and you tell 'em to swim for it." He carefully maneuvered his small boat as close to the stoney shore as he dared. He watched Gareth signal to the man.

"You gonna 'ave ta swim! We canno' get closer!" He yelled.

The man responded by jumping expertly into the icy water. With large, powerful strokes, he made short work of the swim to the boat. Gareth threw down a ladder and the man climbed aboard.

He stood dripping and shivering on the deck while Gareth searched for something to cover him. Immediately, Tomos noticed something was strange about the man, nakedness aside. He had a presence about him that commanded authority, despite being somewhat young in years.

Finally, Gareth managed to find a moth-eaten woolen blanket that wreaked of fish and an extra pair of welly's. The man took both gratefully, despite the stench, and scanned the boat with a pair of brilliantly blue eyes hidden by soggy blonde hair.

Gareth leaned his large frame against the rail, and asked, "How'd you come to be out 'ere? Der ain't nuddin around 'ere."

The man eyed the receding island and shivered. "I'm not really sure...actually. My memory seems to be a bit... unclear." He spoke stiffly and strangely, but with a voice that was strong and confident. As he spoke, he placed a hand absently to his left side and winced.

When they were clear of the island and any treacherous rocks that might have lurked below the surface, Tomos brought the trawler to full stop. He snatched up his favorite meerschaum pipe. Leaving his cabin, he lit his pipe, and approached Gareth and the stranger.

"Name's Tomos," he said gruffly, thrusting out his hand, which was gripped powerfully by the stranger.

"Arthur." He replied.

Tom continued. "Dissun 'ere is Gareth. 'Tis my ship yer on." He nodded towards the fat man on the railing. Then, he tapped his pipe against the cabin frame and the fragrant smoke wafted over the deck.

"I thank you for your hospitality," said the man named Arthur. He offered a short, curt bow. "But if you gentlemen don't mind, I need to get back to Camelot."

Gareth's mouth fell open, but Big Tom's face remained unreadable. "Camelot, aye? _Bit o un od nad, ydych chi_?"

Arthur nodded, slowly, unsure of the man's meaning. "Yes? Em, actually, if you could just get me to shore, I will trouble you no longer. And when I return to Camelot, I will see that you are rewarded for your kindness."

Tom chewed his pipe. "Mmmph." With a slight twinkle in his black eyes, he said, "Den a lift to shore, you shall 'ave, _your 'ighness."_


	2. Chapter 2

The Lost King—Chapter 2

_One Week Later_

The first rays of daylight stretched across the sky, waking Addy from a pleasantly deep slumber. Immediately, she rolled over to see if the man was still sleeping next her. When she saw that he was, she pinched herself on the arm and smiled. _Yup_, she thought warmly,_ it's not a dream_. She continued to watch him sleep. His chest rose and fell in regular, slow beats, but his brow was troubled. After awhile, he frowned in sleep and moaned quietly. Bad dreams. Again. It really shouldn't have surprised her. After all, he was _the_ Merlin. Visions, bad dreams, and magic powers were just a part of his everyday life. But they were ruining what should have been the happiest time of hers.

Merlin stirred, moaning louder, and yelled out, "Arthur!" He sat up heavily, sweat beading up on his brow, and his normally ice blue eyes were stormy and dark.

Addy placed a comforting hand on his chest, and said lightly, "It was just a dream. Just another bad dream." She wished she could really believe that to be true.

He sighed a rubbed his eyes, the fearful moment passing. "Yeah. Maybe." Then he seemed to remember where he was and turned to her. He smiled, but his eyes remained lost and troubled. "Sorry. Did I wake you?"

She shook her head. "I was already up. You want some breakfast?" She chirped, trying to relieve the tension.

He started to jump out of bed, but she caught his arm. "Sit! _ I'll_ make it." She winked at him and kissed him gently on the cheek. One of the most amusing things about dating Merlin, she realized, was that he still acted like the servant to a king. _I'm in love with a thousand year old warlock and all he wants to do is make me dinner, clean my apartment, and do my laundry. It's every girl__'__s fantasy. _ She chuckled to herself as she strolled to her kitchen.

Soon, the smell of coffee and bacon was wafting through her small flat. She bustled around her kitchen until her eye caught on the calendar. _A week today_. Only a week since he had found her and his magic had returned to him. She had been so happy that she had barely noticed the passage of time.

Suddenly, Merlin popped his head around the corner. He grinned and said, "Smells great, Addy. I couldn't wait. Do you need a hand?" She shooshed him from the kitchen. He ran his fingers through his tousled, black hair and sat down at the counter, looking somewhat like a lost puppy. It was hard to believe that when she had first seen him again, he had looked old enough to be her grandfather. _Actually, he's __probably __old enough to be my great, great, great, great, great, great,_…. She shivered and pushed that line of thought aside quickly. There was already far too much about him she didn't know about. In some ways, it might be better to keep it that way.

She handed him the breakfast and between bites, he asked, "So, what are we going to do today?" His eyes were back to their normal cloudy blue and he was wearing a disturbingly handsome grin.

She twirled her long hair around her fingers. "Well, we could go see a movie. I know how much you love those," she winked knowingly. "Or maybe visit the Royal Gardens. Or..." she dropped her voice, "we could just...stay in."

"Oh," he sputtered, coughing his coffee into the air. "In. Definitely in."

_He was so cute when he was nervous_, she thought. _A thousand years old and he really has no clue about women._ She offered him a flirtatious glance that he completely misinterpreted. Instead, he took away the dishes and began filling up the sink with water. She leaned back against the counter and watched with equal parts frustration and admiration.

"So," she said over the sound of sloshing dishwater, "What was your dream about this time?"

His shoulders stiffened. She wasn't really expecting much of reply. He usually claimed not to remember them. Shockingly, he answered, "It was Arthur. He was in some sort of trouble."

She frowned. "Maybe it wasn't, you know, a vision. Maybe it was just a normal dream. Or a memory from the past. I mean, how could Arthur be in trouble? He's gone," she said, and instantly regretted it.

He stopped swirling the dishes around in the sink and his shoulders slumped to the ground. "Yeah, I know," he said hoarsely, reminding her again of the old man he had been before.

"I'm sorry, Merlin. I didn't mean it like that." She put her arms around his thin shoulders and encircled him. He turned around and placed a tender hand on her temple. She could feel the electricity radiating from him. It was more than heat, more than chemistry. It was magic. His magic. A part of him as essential as breathing.

Something had changed in him since she had known him in Camelot. He had more power now. Much more. And it seemed to emanate from him in waves. She had wanted to ask him about it, but hadn't yet thought of a way to bring it up. So instead, she nestled herself into his arms. It didn't matter now, she thought, I'll ask him later. Now, she just wanted to make him happy.

-(0)-(0)-(0)-

That night, the dream returned with a vengeance. This time, Addy awoke to the sound of Merlin shouting out words in a strange sounding tongue. A lamp next to the bed began flickering on its own. Across the room, a vase shattered on her nightstand. There was an electric feeling in the air, that raised the hair on the back of her neck.

Desperately, she began shaking him. "Merlin! Wake up!" A book flew off the shelf and crashed near her head. The bed shuddered. "Wake up! You're going to tear the place apart!" She pleaded.

His eyes flew open. They were no longer blue, but aflame with gold. He was trembling, and he called out, "Arthur! He's in trouble. He's in trouble NOW!"

"What? How could he be?"

He shook his head. "I think... somehow... he's come back!" The electric tension of his magical ability was beginning to dissipate. "Addy!" He said, grabbing her hands with wild excitement. "He's. Come. Back! I know it. Do you know what this means?"

She wanted to protest, wanted to say that it was impossible, but she knew it was useless. She'd heard the phrase "Once and Future King" a little to often. But at the same time, she had the vague feeling that his return meant something really awful was about to happen. Still, looking into Merlin's crazily happy eyes, she was having a hard time finding the downside.

"Do you know how long I've been waiting for this?" He was practically bouncing on the bed like a child. It shocked her that he could still act like such an idiot for as old as he was.

"A thousand years?" Addy offered sarcastically, crossing her arms. Why did she suddenly feel like she was his mother or something?

He stopped jumping around and stared at her intensely. "This...this is...! HE'S BACK!" He said breathlessly. "We have to go to Avalon! Right. Now."

"Em, it's, like 2:30 in the morning, Merlin."

He stared at her.

"Right." She said, angrily tossing her covers off. _Who needs sleep? Besides... Avalon. Could be interesting._


	3. Chapter 3

The Lost King—Chapter 3

**_Four days earlier_**

The man with the little board and pen was really starting to get on Arthur's nerves. _How dare they treat him like this! __He was the King! _

The little man adjusted his spectacles and cleared his throat. "Now, Arthur, do -"

"- _King_ Arthur. Or Sire. You choose." Arthur reminded him curtly. He may be strapped to a chair and held hostage in a strange white castle, but they would treat him with respect.

The man coughed again. "Yes. Tell me, _King_ Arthur, do you know where you are?"

"How should I know that?" Arthur stated. "I've never been to this place before."

"You are in the Cardiff National Institute for Mental Health. I'm Doctor Ioen Bretir. I'm the, um, one in charge, you might say."

Well at least he wasn't worried about his chances for escape anymore. They were looking up. The man calling himself a 'doctor' was probably only as high as his chest. And the only weapon he wielded was the small metal pen and a board with papers on it. As soon as his bonds were loosened, he'd easily make it out. Arthur relaxed slightly. All he had to do was play along until they untied him.

"So, Arthur," the man continued. Arthur winced at the lack of respect, but said nothing. "How did you come to be on the island?"

_How many more people were going to ask him that? And why did it matter?_ He gritted his teeth and answered. "I'm not sure, but..."

"Yes?"

"Well, I do have a feeling that my servant, Merlin, may have had something to do with it."

The man flipped up the papers and scratched something down quickly. "Merlin? You said he was your servant?"

"Ye-s?"

"You don't think of Merlin as your advisor, or your tutor, or your wizard friend?"

Arthur was shocked. _This man knew about Merlin? How?_ Had Merlin gone around blabbing about having magic just because Arthur didn't immediately decide to chop his head off? He'd wring his scrawny little neck! And what was all that other rubbish about him being his advisor? Pathetic Merlin? Never.

"Arthur. Are you alright. Only, you've gone a bit... red."

"Yes," he seethed. "And no. Merlin is my servant. Just my servant. None of that other stuff." Arthur hadn't known about Merlin, not until he told him, right before...right...before..._Argh_! _Why couldn't he remember?_ There was like a great, fuzzy, black hole where his memory should have been. _And why did his side keep hurting?_ Arthur looked down. It was his left side, just under the ribs.

The man was busy scribbling things down. At last, he looked up over his spectacles and said, "Very well. Let's move on. What were you doing before the island? What's the last thing you can remember?"

The rush of memories came back so quickly, Arthur reeled in his seat. "There...was a... battle," he said slowly. He frowned, recalling the looks of his men as he stood before them. How brave they had been, going to what could have been certain death. _How many had fallen at Camlan?_ I_f it hadn't been for that sorcerer_... His frown deepened. The sorcerer. _Merlin!_ Now he remembered. Merlin, ridiculous, pathetic Merlin. He had saved them. Truthfully, he wasn't sure that if Merlin stood in front of him right now, he wouldn't strangle him.

"Mmm. And did you fight many battles?"

"Are you jesting with me? I'm the King! Of course I fight my own battles. How dare you imply otherwise!" Arthur pulled at the restraints again, rattling the heavy metal chair.

The man looked sincerely shocked. He put out his hand in a 'stop' gesture. "Calm down, Arthur. I didn't mean to imply anything, I just wanted to know if there was anything else you could remember."

Again, the flashes of the past came back like waves crashing upon him. Gwen, his Queen. Her soft, sweet eyes and warm smile. And his trusted knights: Leon, Gwain, Percival. His father. His father's death. He frowned again, much deeper. Remembering his father brought up a completely different set of memories. Like Morgana; the laughing, flirtatious child who had been twisted into a foul and wretched witch. Or Mordred, his most beloved knight, turning against him. His side ached again, deeper this time. He saw Mordred's face before him, the look of anguish turned relief when Arthur had driven his sword into him. The pain grew sharper in his ribs and he cried out.

The doctor sat up worriedly and asked, "Are you alright?"

Arthur looked down at himself. "Tell me, am I bleeding? Here. Just under my ribs." He wiggled around in the chair trying to check for any blood.

The doctor approached cautiously. Arthur was secured well, but as he had proven when he had first been brought in, he was quite strong. He lifted Arthur's shirt. "No. You're not bleeding." He looked up at him, his spectacles glinting in the light. "But there does seem to be an old scar there. Do you remember how you got that?" He returned to his chair and picked up the notes once more.

Dryly, he said, "Mordred. He did that to me." A thought had just sprouted in his head. With calm assuredly, it blossomed into a fully developed conclusion. "Ah." He said.

"What?"

"I think I'm beginning to understand what has happened to me."

Shocked, the doctor asked, "You are?"

"Mmm, yes. I think I must have been gravely wounded in the battle. I recall traveling with Merlin somewhere. It must have been to the island. Perhaps he was taking me there because he believed he could find something to help me. But then the little...idiot left me there! Alone. With no clothes, or food, or anything. How typical. Must have ran off for some reason... oh." It had just occurred to him why Merlin had run off. He had told Arthur the truth about everything. How he had magic, and had been lying to him for years. _He was probably worried I would have chopped off his head, the...dollophead!_

Arthur sighed. Merlin was gone, scared off, no doubt, by fear of Arthur's wrath. He was on his own here, where ever this was. So he would just have to find a way out on his own. Then it dawned on him that this was a very odd sort of prison. There were none of the usual brutish guards. No one carried weapons. Sure, they had kept him lock up all the time, but no one had actually mistreated him. They had fed him well, given him clothes, and now this King of the -what did he call it? - Olive? Carnage? No. More like Car Dive something-or-other mentals - he had just held him here and _talked_ to him. No beatings, no threatening to throw him in a pit of snakes, no forcing him to fight to the death or anything. _What did it all mean? What did they want?_

"Arthur," the doctor said calmly, interrupting the mental jousting match he was having. "I can see that you are disturbed by something. Is it the restraints? I assure you, they are only for your protection. No one here wishes you harm. We are here to help you get better. To help you work through you problems. But, you're going to have to start trusting us." He put down his papers and approached Arthur. He locked eyes with him, and Arthur could see that he was telling the truth. In smooth, mellow tones he said, "Now, if I release you, do I have your word you will make no attempt to escape?" He pulled a set of keys from his coat pocket.

Arthur was puzzled. _Why would this man say all this to him? Why would he just let him go?_

"I don't think that you really want to hurt anyone, do you?"

"N-no." Arthur agreed. _Could this be some sort of test? A TEST! That was it!_ An odd sort of relief washed over him. _This man wasn't a King! He was a sorcerer!_ That would explain _everything_. From the time he had arrived off the island and the guards had bound him, he had been very curious about some of the things he had seen and heard. He had been put into a windowless, padded coach after his arrest, and so he hadn't seen where they had taken him to. Now everything was starting to make sense! He was in some sort of magic realm or something. There were strange flameless lights, they wore odd clothing, doors opened and closed by themselves, sounds came from the hallway that were not made by any beast. And he just knew it was all Merlin's fault.

"Good." The 'doctor' replied quickly. "Then let's get you out of those bonds, shall we?" He unlocked the shackles and stood back.

Arthur slowly lifted his arms and rubbed his wrists. But he made no move to flee. _A test_, he was still pondering. _With wizards_. What would they want from him? It had to be to see if he would allow magic again.

"Good. See, we're all civilized here. Right?"

Arthur nodded reluctantly. Yes, he had definitely figured it out. He would play along, do what they asked. For now. He might not have a problem with Merlin having magic, but he wasn't yet convinced about anyone else.

The doctor seemed satisfied. He picked up his board and jotted down a few quick notes. "Now, in order to help you work out your problems, I'm going to assign you to a daily group session that I think you might really enjoy. It's for people, like you, who have difficulty coming to terms with, em, the real world. Can I count on your support?"

A daily group session? What on earth was that? _Play along, Arthur, just play along. Don't let on that you know who they are or what they want. Then, you can go back to Camelot and sort this mess out._ "Yes, doctor." He smiled, showing a brilliant set of teeth and eyes bluer than the sky on a sunny day. "I agree to your terms of parley. Let the 'group session' commence."

**Author's not-**

**I hope you all are enjoying this story as much as I am writing it. I can just see Arthur's face in this scene looking so completely miffed by Merlin. :) As always I welcome any comments you might have. Next one up soon!**


	4. Chapter 4

The Lost King—Chapter 4

"Huh." Addy huffed blandly. "So this is Avalon?" They were standing on the banks of a muddy-colored lake. Dense, cold fog had settled over most of it and only a small strip of water could be seen. It was scummy and brown, with small bits of debris relaxing among the reeds. Behind them, a small, desperate-looking village butted right up next to the water, as if it wished to fling itself over the rocky shore and have done with it. "Kinda unimpressive."

Merlin crossed his arms and sighed. His eyes were distant, caught up again in memories of the past. "At one time, this place was beautiful. Sacred. But that was so long ago. Now its faded, like everything else."

Addy studied him. She was worried about him. He had been overjoyed in the car at first, but the closer she got to Avalon, the more subdued he became. Normally, he seemed like anyone else; jeans, a tee, a fluffy pullover. All topped off with a shaggy mess of black hair and cool, blue eyes. But not now. Now, standing before the foggy lake, he looked like the all-power warlock he truly was. His body was stiff and rigid, head held high. And the power inside him radiated around him like an aura.

He took a deep, long breath, and turned to her, back to normal. "There. Do you see it? Off towards the middle of the lake." He pointed into the cloud bank.

"What am I supposed to be looking for? All I see is fog."

"An island. Wait, here..." He waved his hand in from of him and the clouds parted, leaving a corridor of unobstructed view far out over the water. At last, a tiny spot of an island came into view. "That's where I left him, after he..." He trailed off sadly.

Addy butted up next to him and slipped her arm through his. "Well, then, let's go get him back."

-(0)—(0)—(0)-

What they needed was a boat. Fortunately, they weren't far from some. Several were lined up in the quay. Most were rusted fishing vessels, but there was also a couple small pleasure crafts, and a few dinghies that would probably sink the moment they were out of sight of land.

Up ahead, two men were sitting on the dock, mending a fishing net. Merlin approached them and offered them a friendly wave. Neither man waved back, but they did stop mending their nets to stare at the strangers. One of the men, a rather portly one, turned to the other and said something rude sounding in Welsh. The other, an older man with thick, curly hair that covered his entire head, nodded and withdrew a battered pipe from his belt.

Merlin addressed the men, and greeted them _in perfect Welsh_. "_Helo, foneddigion. __Beth sydd i fyny? __Roeddwn yn rhyfeddu pe gallai yo helpu ni allan. Mae angen i rentu cwch. Ydych chi'n gwybod ble y gallem ddod o hyd i un? __ O, a chlywais yr hyn a ddywedasoch am fy nghariad.__" __(Basically: Hi guys! What's up? We need to rent a boat. Do you have one? Oh, and I heard what you said about my girlfriend.) _He then leaned back on his heals and smirked.

Addy's mouth hung open. _Where the hell had that come from? I had no idea he could speak a different language. Maybe there's a lot more stuff about his past I should know about, after all._

Meanwhile, Gareth, the fat one, shifted around nervously in his seat, and returned to mending as if his life depended on it.

The pipe wavered in in the air. It was the only sign that Big Tom was impressed. "Yer after a boat?"

Switching back to English, Merlin answered. "Ya. See, we think a friend of ours may have gotten himself in a bit of trouble. It was his birthday and he always over indulges himself, if you know what I mean. I mean, the guy totally can't hold his liquor. Anyway, he was mooning on and on about going sailing and we think he came out here and got himself marooned out there, on that island." He pointed across the now clear lake.

The two men exchanged a quick, suspicious glance. "Your mate was pissed, you say? And you think ee's ou' there?" Gareth asked with much interest.

Addy, picking up on Merlin's story, put on her most charming smile and cooed, "Yes. Could you _please_ help us out." She clasped her hands together. The bearded one was immobile, but the other fell right into her trap.

"Oh, him. We picked 'em up 'bout a week ago." Merlin shot Addy an anxious glance. _A week ago?_ Gareth continued, "Mmm. Cracked 'ee was, too. Right Big Tom?"

The beardy one grunted a response. "Not right, that one." He tapped his head. "Claimed to be from Camelot. And King Arthur 'emself! Kept going on 'bout who was rowing my boat. When we got 'em to shore, 'ee started whooping and yelling and throwing things. PC Davies finally had to take 'em off, him waving his tackle all over the place 'n all."

Addy choked. "Tackle? You mean, he was _naked_?" She said in absolute horror.

"Mm. Aye. Naked as the day 'ee was born."

She turned to look at Merlin. She only got a glimpse of a rapidly spreading smile on his face before he turned away, covering his mouth.

"You okay?" Addy asked.

He held up a hand to her, as he was racked with violent tremors. "Em...I'll be...fffine...in a...sec.." He coughed several times. When he turned around his face was a fiery shade of red and his eyes were the size of saucers. "So...em...he was jjjust... waving it around, ttthen...?" He couldn't contain himself any longer and burst into peals of laughter, nearly falling to the ground.

She stomped her foot, and elbowed him hard. "That's awful! What's wrong with you? I thought he was your friend, what with the way you've been pining over him." Actually, she had wanted to laugh, too, but she had remembered how jarring it had been finding herself in a different time.

"He...is.." he sputtered, between chuckles. "But you didn't know him. H-he could be such a...p-prat!"

While Merlin once again fell laughing to the ground, Addy was left on her own with the two fishermen. They were busy giving Merlin evil looks, so she interrrupted. "So, you said he was arrested?"

The surly one, Big Tom, nodded. "They took 'em away. Had to send of for a spec'list. One of them brainshrinkers. From Cardiff."

_Oh no. This was bad. This was really, really bad._ She thanked the men abruptly and rushed off to catch up with Merlin, whose face had gone from red to purple. But when she told them what the men had said, he immediately stopped laughing. His smile melted into a worried frown.

"What are we going to do, Merlin? They sectioned him!"

He looked at her intently, with a completely straight face, so much like the old Merlin she had known in Camelot, yet so different. Straightening up, he emphatically stated, "We're going to bust King Arthur out of the looney-bin!"

**Author's note-**

**Okay, with that I must leave you for a few days...:( But don't worry, I'll give you a taste of what to expect in the next few chapters:**

**-The Afanc is back and he is pissed!**

**-Merlin and Addy make some fake ID's**

**-Arthur meets Napoleon and Abraham Lincoln. **

**-A BIG reunion!**

**Hope you keep reading and keep sending me your reviews! **


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you for all the wonderful reviews guys! I can't tell you how much it means! Keep 'em coming. I'd love to hear from you, good or bad. ^_^**

The Lost King—Chapter 5

Not far south of Brecon Beacons, a smalll hamlet dozed under a rising moon. A winter chill clung to the air, sending a few random snowflakes scurrying about the cottages and row houses. It was into this serene valley that the _Afanc_ came, trembling the earth and thundering the sky.

The residents were awoken from their sleep by a rumbling of the earth. Thinking it was some sort of earthquake, many fled from their houses. But it wasn't an earthquake. As they fled, they saw it. Charging toward the town in large powerful strides. A few had brought their mobiles, and they stopped to record the approaching horror. Noticing the tasty morsels who were willingly offering themselves up, the _Afanc_ paused its course. It swung a monstrous, reptilian head over the villagers and widened its grin. In fact, that grin was the last thing they ever saw.

Local PC's were immediately dispatched, readying what weapons they could. They set up a perimeter just off to the center of town. Like the gathering of a storm, the _Afanc_ approached, each step it took cracking the earth.

Chief Penhallow had seen many things in his lifetime, but never like this. What was stalking his town was beyond imagining. Easily fifty meters tall and black as night. It had large, bat-like wings and two horns sprouted from its head. But the worst was its teeth. Razor sharp teeth, each one the size of a man lined its jaws. It followed the people fleeing with intelligent, glowing yellow eyes.

How could they stop it? Their weapons would be of no use. Still, the Chief had a town to protect. "Ready!" He called out, aiming his rifle. The men and women officers behind him shouted in acknowledgement as they likewise raised their weapons.

The _Afanc_ cleared the last house and was now in full view, its black scales glittering in the rising moonlight. It took one look at the pitiful group of gathered people and smiled. "Dear god," The Chief gasped. It took two more steps before the Chief shouted, "FIRE!" Instantly, he was drowned out in a volley of shots.

Roaring in defiance, the Afanc kept approaching. Nothing could stop it. None of the bullets could harm it. _M__mm_, it thought. _More food_. Within moments the blockade was decimated. Everyone who hadn't fled had been devoured by the creatures immensely powerful jaws.

Sniffing the cool night air, it continued on its journey. The sorcerer it had been tracking was nearer. And they would be the first to taste the _Afanc_'s vengeance.

-(0)-(0)-(0)-

"Are you certain you've not been drinking tonight, sir?" Billy the dispatcher asked the very upset sounding man on the phone.

"No! Look, I told you what I saw. Why won't you believe me?"

_Cracked,_ Billy thought. _Completely nut-gone_. Billy listened to the man tell his story again apathetically. He was far too used to these crazy midnight calls at the precinct. However, he did have to hand it to the man, he did at least sound earnestly terrified.

With a small cough, Billy stopped him, "So, I have it that you and you wife were driving down the M4 when an enormous creature flew over your heads, causing you to swerve and narrowly miss the car in the other lane. Is this correct?"

"Yes!" The man cried.

"And when you say 'enormous creature,' you mean this giant lizard with horns and wings and great big teeth, yeah? You called it a... dragon?" He was trying hard not to snicker at the caller.

"Look you!" The caller said angrily. "There _was_ a dragon on the M4. I swear it! It threw a car and all!"

"Alright, sir. Alright. I've got your statement, I'm sure one of our officers will be in touch." Billy said methodically, stifling a yawn with the back of his hand.

The man hissed into the phone and simply hung up. _Well, good riddance-_ Suddenly the board lit up like a firework, lights twinkling and flashing with incoming calls. _What was __all __this?_

He picked up the line. "Help!" A very elderly sounding lady was yelling, "My doggie, Gerdie, she was just attacked by a – a fairy!"

"Oh, right." Billy said, slightly miffed. Dragons and fairies. _What were they playing at? __Had to be some sort of hoaxers. _

He simply hung up on the lady and answered the next call. _This had better be a murder or a burglary or something...normal. The next call I get about magical creatures, I'm going to go off!_

"MeandJoeyandConnieandMalcom,wewusoverbythepub,andthenJoeysaystoConnie 'Lookatthattreewalkinginthero ad,'ya?Andisays'treesdon'twalk,stupid!AndJoeyjust goesrightuptothebloodything,ya?Anditjustpickedhimupintheair , andthenitthrewhimdowntheroad likehewasnuffing!AndI-" Click.

"Dude, I think I just saw a unicorn outside my wind-" Click.

"There's been someone in me yard! All the bins are upside down and I swear I saw these little furry-" Click.

Throwing his headphones on the desk, Billy yelled, "RIGHT! THAT'S IT!" He threw open the door to the street and looked around. All he could see was a perfectly normal street with perfectly normal cars and perfectly normal people -

And then he saw it. Just above the tree line, a head sticking out and lumbering forward. A head of man far too large to be real. A giant. Just like from a fairy tale.

Five seconds later, he flew through the station doors. "Boys, I'm going down the pub! First round's on me!" He then abruptly turned and stormed out.


	6. Chapter 6

The Lost King—Chapter 6

"Well, now what?" Addy asked. They were parked in a small lot facing a four-story medical center. The building had a freshly painted kind of look to it and large courtyard with small tree-lined paths. It was like it was trying to seem as friendly and unimposing as possible. A large blue and white sign hung in the yard reading: Cardiff National Institute for Mental Health. _We can help_!"

Merlin sniffed. "How modern. You know, about a century ago this place was little better than a prison. Now it's all about 'mental health'. What rubbish. I think I liked it better when they just called stuff what it was."

She watched bright, cheery looking doctors bustling about the yard and thought maybe he had a point. These people should not be that happy to be working at a mental hospital. But then again, maybe she was just a cynic.

He put his hand on the car door, "I'll go in, magic him out, and meet you out here in a jiff."

"No, wait!" A sudden vision of Merlin being locked up in one of those rooms in there made her catch him. "Maybe you shouldn't use your magic. What if someone saw you? You could end up like Arthur. Or worse!"

He smiled grimly. "No prison could hold me."

She floundered. "Well, yes. But _think_ of the paperwork." She nudged him. "_Besides_, you don't even know for certain he's in there. And you're not going to go in while I just sit in the car." She gave him her best 'if you cross me, I will hurt you in ways beyond imagining' look. "Merlin, we need a plan."

He sat back in the seat and raised his brow. "Well, any ideas?"

Actually, she did have one. It had occurred to her as she watched the busy little doctors. "How good are you at making fake ID's?" She asked, smiling coyly.

A mad twinkle lit in his blue eye. "I've had a little practice."

-(0)—(0)-(0)-

With fairly little effort or magic, they were able to sneak into a basement locker room. There, they stole two lab coats and pinned Merlin's magic fake ID's to the front. She looked him up and down. Even in his jeans and sneakers, he looked passible enough for a doctor, except when you got to the hair, which was a mess of untrimmed black curls. She grabbed his head and tried to comb back his unruly hair into something more professional.

"There," she said approvingly at his slicked down hair. She hated to admit she had a thing for doctors. It was almost too much for her seeing him dressed like this. Her heart was getting the giddy little butterflies that indicated just how badly she was in love with him. All she wanted was to put him up against the wall and have a make-out session. But instead, she merely said, "Now you look smart, Dr. Emrys."

She pinned up her long brown hair into a tight bun and added a pair of black-framed glasses she found in one of the lockers. "How do I look?" She asked.

He sputtered. "Hot. Em, I mean... smart, too, Dr. Singleton." He pushed her in front of him so she wouldn't see the red shade his face had turned. "Shall we?"

Glancing around the hallways to see if anyone had noticed their deception, they made their way upstairs to the lobby.

At the main desk, a large, friendly security guard sat. He smiled as the two 'doctors' approached. Merlin walked over to him and introduced himself.

"Good morning," Merlin said cheerfully. "We're here from London Medical. I'm doing research on patients with delusional disorders. I was wondering if you could point me in the right direction?"

The guard nodded and checked his computer monitor. "Floor three, wing D. You're looking for Doctor Ioen Bretir."

Merlin thanked him, and lead Addy to the lifts. Once they were in, Addy slipped her hand into Merlin's and asked, "You ready?" She knew how nervous he was about finding Arthur.

With a faraway, determined look, he stated, "I've been ready for a millenia."

She followed him down the corridor, through a set of heavy double doors until they saw a sign for Wing D. There, they saw two hallways, each with rows of closed doors to patients rooms. "Split up?" Addy offered. Merlin nodded and took the passage to the right. Addy took the one to the left. She began by opening every set of doors she came across. But for some reason, all the rooms were empty. _Where were all the patients?_

"Can I help you with something?"

Addy jumped, startled. Then, she squeaked as she saw the speaker, a very short man with gold-framed glasses. He was definitely one of the strangest doctors she had ever seen. "Um, I'm looking for a patient. I'm... Doctor Singleton. My colleague and I are... doing research," she said, nervously flustered.

He smiled and shook her hand warmly. "I'm Doctor Bretir. Perhaps I can help you locate him. Why don't you follow me, Doctor Singleton." He turned down yet another corridor and motioned for her to join him. Addy was caught. She had no choice but to go with him. _I hope Merlin has better luck, _she thought.


	7. Chapter 7

The Lost King—Chapter 7

There weren't many things in this world that Arthur Pendragon was afraid of, but Dr. Drummet was one of them. She was the type of person that seemed perfectly harmless on the outside, but on the inside she was a snake coiled and ready to strike. Arthur wasn't sure if it was the way her eyes sized you up, found you unworthy, and then pretend you were invisible, or if it was the way she smiled. He was pretty sure she had fangs instead of real teeth, and that the bright red color of her lips wasn't paint, it was blood. _No_, Arthur thought, _it was her voice that was worse than anything else._ With the slightest intonation, she could make a grown man burst into tears. Arthur had seen this done. On more than one occasion. Her voice was like a metal being scraped against stone. It made your head start ringing and your ears bleed. _If this lady wasn't a witch_, he thought sourly, _I'll eat my shoe._ (Something which he had actually been forced to do once after losing a game of cards with Merlin, and so knew just how distasteful a shoe could be.)

"Ar_thur_?" She said. He winced at the sound of his name emanating from her lips. She had a distinct way of saying it that he was sure would haunt his dreams for eternity. "Would you like to share with us today?"

No, Arthur did not want to share, but he knew from his experiences in the last couple of days that if he didn't get up and say something in front of the group, he would regret it. He rose from his seat and in the most kingly way he could manage, wrapped his fluffy robe about him "Hello, everyone," he began, "my name is Ki - (he caught the glare in Dr. Drummet's eye and bit back the '-ng') Arthur."

The group responded with an unamused chorus of, "Hello, Arthur."

Arthur set his jaw and looked around the room. There were ten including himself. Six males, four females. All were captives here, just like him. There was a pirate, an emperor, a Queen, and a President (whatever that was). There was even a King (although Arthur was sure that his kingdom of Rockandroll must not have a very good hygiene system. He never seemed to bathe. He was, however, very polite, always saying "Thank you very much" whenever he could.)

Dr. Drummet was tapping her foot very, very slightly. Soon, she would begin flicking her nails together and sighing a lot. None of these were good signs. This made Arthur forget what to say at all. She smiled and Arthur recoiled. "Ar_thur_. Why don't you tell us all how you became king of Camelot? _Hmm_?"

_Gods, she was still smiling. And tapping her foot._ _He had better talk fast._ "Well, I became king when my father, Uther Pendragon, was killed."

"Ooh!" A doughy man across the room was waving his hand frantically. "How was he killed? Was he beheaded?"

Dr. Drummet raised a finger to her ruby lips and shushed him. "Now, Napo_leon_, it's Arthur's turn to talk. We don't interrupt while someone is talking, _do we_?" The man quickly lowered his hand and sunk far into his seat. "Good," she said, and turned her sharp green eyes back to Arthur. "Go ahead."

He trembled and pulled his robe closer. "Actually, my father was killed protecting me from an assassin." His thoughts returned back to that wicked day. How his father had heroically fought off the killer, only to be stabbed himself. How he couldn't save him.

"And how did that make you feel, Ar_thur_?" She asked. She was always asking about his feelings. _Why on earth would a witch like her care how he felt?_

He stared at his feet, at the wall, anywhere but at Dr. Drummet. "Don't know. Bad?" She narrowed her eyes and clicked her nails. He hurriedly explained, "I mean..." _What did he mean?_ "Guilty. I felt guilty." He sighed. He had felt guilty. Extremely so. He should have been able to protect him, he should have been there for him, he shouldn't have tried to use magic to heal him.

He inhaled sharply. He had forgotten momentarily. _He had tried to use magic to heal his father_. He had gone against everything his father had instilled in him. And he had lost both his parents to magic. Anger flared up in him. He shouldn't be feeling guilty. It wasn't his fault. It was that sorcerer-

"Oh." He exclaimed.

"What is it?" Dr. Drummet demanded.

Arthur wavered were he stood, as if he had been punched in the gut. It had finally come to him. All of it, like pieces in a puzzle falling into place. That old sorcerer. He had seen him before and after that day. And now he knew his identity.

Through clenched teeth, he raged, "I just remembered how my father was really killed. And if I see that little, cabbage-headed, good-for-nothing again, this time I really will have his head! In fact, I'll string him up myself! Forget everything I ever said about him. I take it all back. I never want to see his stupid, incompetent face ever again!"

With growing interest, Dr. Drummet said, "Who, Ar_thur_? Who do you never want to see?"

"Mer-" Something had caught his eye at the back of the room. Just through the set of doors.

"Yes?"

It had been a face, with a daft smile and dark black hair. "-lin?" Arthur flung himself from the chair and ran for the doors, ignoring the cries from the witch doctor and the applause from everyone else. He had seen the face again. And now, he was certain who it belonged to.

He flew through the doors, crashing them open, and skidded to a halt. It was him: idiot, servant, cabbagehead, sorcerer,...friend. He was just standing there, grinning ear-to-ear and... _Wait!_ _W__hat was he doing?_

"MERLIN! WHERE ON EARTH HAVE YOU BEEN!" Arthur demanded while Merlin squeezed him in a fierce bear hug. Just as quickly, Arthur pushed Merlin away. "Get off me!" _What had gotten into him? _

"I'm sorry I'm late, Sire. I've been looking for you for so long, you have no idea! And there is so much to tell you. But we need to go, Arthur. Now." He said all in one complexly emotional breath. His eyes shone like miniature suns.

"Merlin," Arthur said, adjusting his fluffy robe. "Were you _crying_?"

"No."

"Then why are your cheeks wet? Honestly, you are such a _girl_ sometimes." He said folding his arms together.

"Oh, yeah. Then what are you?" Merlin said, pointing to Arthur's face.

Arthur felt his own cheeks. "I'm...I'm not crying. I'm...I'm sweating." He said defensively.

"Sweating?"

"Yes. It was a long run out those doors...and...oh, shut up and get me out of here!"

Merlin nodded and pulled Arthur down the hallway. As they ran, Arthur asked. "How long have I been gone? Do they all think I'm dead? Has Gwen been made Queen?"

Merlin answered none of the questions, he just kept running. Now was not the time. Finally, they came to the last set of double doors. As they rounded the corner, he ran smack into Addy, toppling them both to the ground.

"Ouch! Watch it!" She yelled, and hit him lightly in the arm.

"Addy!" He cried with relief. "I'm glad you found us. We need to leave!"

She glared at him and motioned with her eyes to the very short man standing right next to them. She picked herself up off the ground and took a breath. "Dr. Emrys. This is Dr. Bretir. He was helping me look for a suitable patient for our research." She set her jaw and waited to see if he would catch on.

Clearing his addled brain, Merlin got to his feet and snapped to attention. "Oh, hello," he said, eyeing Dr. Bretir warily. He was confused. There was something very familiar about the doctor, but he couldn't place it. _I should know this man_, he thought. But the memory wouldn't come.

Dr. Bretir merely smiled and patted Addy on the hand. "Nevermind. I know how it is for you youngsters." He gave Merlin a curious wink. "Always in a hurry." He glanced up at Merlin, "Look, as I was explaining to your colleague, I don't see any reason why a patient of ours couldn't accompany you back to your hospital. Providing you fill out all the necessary paperwork at the main desk below. Oh, and Arthur, I expect you to behave yourself. No more flashing the public, eh?" He then moved out of the way of the doors.

Arthur glanced at Merlin, then back to the doctor. _It couldn't be that easy, could it? __After everything I've been through, they just let him take me! Pfft. Sorcerers._ Merlin nodded gratefully and pulled Arthur with him through the door.

Left alone, Addy thanked the doctor for his help and turned to leave as well. But just as her hand touched the knob, he spoke. His tone was different now, more sad and cautious. "Be careful, my dear. Remember what I told you. They're going to need your help, before the end."

Confused, she nodded and followed after the servant and his King.

**Author's note-**

**Okay, I had a hard time with this one. I wanted a massive 'blow-your-socks-off' reunion, but it just wouldn't fit in with the pacing of the story. Also, for Arthur, its only been few days. But don't worry, I'll cover more of it when our trio has a little more time to breathe. Enjoy! As always, tell me what you think!**


	8. Chapter 8

The Lost King—Chapter 8

The sorcerer's smell was getting stronger. It was easy to sort it out from all the other scents of the world. Nothing reeked of the Old Religion here, only of dust and poison and humanity. The humans were choking the world with their concrete forests. The Earth itself was ready to rebel. It only needed a spark, a champion. The _Afanc_ was that champion. It would destroy the sorcerer and then it would destroy humanity. And once more the Wild Magic would reign free and unbridled upon the earth.

-(0)—(0)-(0)-

Addy finally caught up with Arthur and Merlin just outside of her car. They seemed to be having some sort of argument.

Merlin was gesturing wildly. "LOOK AROUND, Arthur. You are not in a magical realm full of vengeful sorcerers that locked you up. You DIED! I was there! This is not Camelot, it is a completely different world now. Time has moved on."

"_Mer_lin. Really." Arthur scoffed. He shook his head at Merlin as if he were an ignorant child. "Just tell me the truth. Did you set this whole thing up? Were you worried about, you know, me punishing you for using magic?"

Grinding his teeth, Merlin stammered. He had forgotten just how much of a prat Arthur could be. "I wasn't worried about – AHHH! I did not -!" He threw his hands into the air and walked in a circle. Finally, he took a deep, long breath and said slowly, in the most condescending way possible. "Arthur. Stop. Being. A. PRAT! Listen to me. You have been _dead_. For close to _one thousand years_ You have woken up _in the future_. This is the year 2013. And there is NO GOING BACK!"

Arthur opened his mouth and then looked at Merlin's face. That was Merlin's serious face. The one that he had learned to trust the hard way. So, Arthur did as he was told. He looked around. _Really_ looked around. And it was not what he had expected. There were no forests here, no small villages, no riders on horseback, no people plowing their fields. Nothing that he had come to associate with the world at large was there. Instead, there were large stone buildings, each as big as the castle keep, paved roads with strange metal monsters zipping past. And beasts in the air, so high up, he could barely see them. _What kind of place was this?_

Merlin saw the light of comprehension flow into his eyes. With a quiver in his voice, Arthur said, "You-you're serious, aren't you?"

Sadly, but with relief, Merlin nodded. "Yes. Arthur. And I'm sorry. I really am."

Arthur couldn't stop staring at things. His eyes darted furiously from traffic lights to people walking their dogs to flashing video screens hung on the sides of buildings. It was all too much. _Where was everyone he had known?_ "They're all gone? Gwen, Leon, Gwain? All of them?"

"Yes, Arthur. I was there when Gwen became Queen. She was a very good queen. She would have made you proud." His voice broke. He had rehearsed what to tell Arthur many times, but now that he was faced with it, he couldn't do it. "She-she did what she had to do to ensure the prosperity of the kingdom." How could he tell Arthur his beloved Gwen had remarried? Not only that, but that she had born three sons to her new husband.

Arthur saw the look on Merlin's face and acknowledged. _Of course she did._ _That's why I left the kingdom to her._"And Camelot survived? Albion was saved?"

Merlin nodded happily. "Yes, Arthur. This is what Albion has become, this is what you helped to build. The world, Arthur, it's bigger than you can possibly imagine. So many people. And they still remember you. They still remember what you stood for."

Arthur was speechless. _People still remembered him?_ The little wheels of thought were finally starting to turn for him. "If Albion is doing so well, why am I here at all? How did I come back from the dead. And... Wait... Why are you here, Merlin?"

Merlin's eyes darted off, the way they always did when he was conflicted about delivering some piece of news. Arthur had learned that whatever came next out of Merlin's mouth would either be: A) a lie, in which case Merlin would shift nervously and laugh a lot, B) a load of rubbish, in which case Arthur would throw something large and preferably heavy at him, or C) the truth, in which case, Arthur would have to brace himself for something shocking and awful.

"I-I...em...," he was stalling. Arthur wished he _did_ have something large and heavy to throw right now.

"Go on. Spit it out." He crossed his arms and stared. "If you don't say what it is that's causing you to get all tongue-tied, I'll cut it out for you. Get on with it!"

"I can't die." Merlin stated emphatically. Arthur was glaring now, so Merlin continued, hardly daring to breathe. "I mean, I don't think I can. I generally try to avoid it as a rule. Still, I'm pretty sure most normal things won't kill me. But if say, you chopped off my head and burned my body to ash, then I'm pretty sure I would be, um... dead. Or you could always try-"

"_Mer_lin."

"Yes, My Lord?"

"Shut up, before I'm forced to try one of your suggestions." Arthur was done, his patience gone. He had just found out he had been killed, come back to life, that he was now one thousand years in the future, and that everyone and everything he cared about was gone. The thought that his best friend was immortal was simply far too much. Whatever sort of mess Merlin had obviously gotten him into, it was time he got him out of it.

"_Mer_lin," he sighed.

"Yes, Sire?"

"WHY AM I HERE!" Arthur demanded.


	9. Chapter 9

The Lost King—Chapter 9

"WHY AM I HERE!" Arthur demanded.

That was the question that had been on Addy's mind since she had first lain eyes on Arthur again. What _was_ Arthur doing here? How had he come back to life in the first place? It seemed like a really important question, one that kept nagging at her. Something she should know, but couldn't quite remember. She recalled the words of the strange little doctor. _"__R__emember __what I told you,_" he had said. It had seemed cryptic, more than just a doctor giving advise. But what was she supposed to remember? All she could recall was small talk about all the snow they were having in Cardiff and something that going on in the news. Nothing that would pertain to her situation now. _"They will need your help, before the end."_ What was that supposed to mean? She did have a slight feeling that there was something more, something he gave her...something round...small...shiny. Then, it was gone. Her mind had gone blank. She let out a frustrated cry and stomped her foot on the ground.

Merlin spun around, suddenly recalling she was there. "Oh! Addy, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

She waved him off with a polite smile. "-no worries. I was just thinking of something else."

"And who is this, Merlin?" Arthur asked, somewhat annoyed. But not by her, by the fact that he had seen the girl standing there and Merlin hadn't yet introduced her. Sometimes, he could be such an idiot.

Merlin replied with a nervous flutter. "This is Addy."

Putting her troublesome thoughts aside for the moment, she turned to Arthur. "Sire," she said, bowing. "It's good to see you again."

"We've met?" He asked, looking her up and down. She was a slight girl with dark hair and wide hazel eyes. He was positive that if they had met before he would have remembered her.

"Yes," she continued. "Long ago. In Camelot. Although I believe I probably looked quite different." She tossed aside her doctor disguise and pulled down her bun, letting her hair spill about her face. "Your men found me in the forest and thought I was a spy."

"You!" He said incredulously. "Yes, I remember, now. The peculiar one. So, you're here, too?"

Merlin took a step back. The look in Addy's eyes was nothing short of an inferno. "Peculiar one?" She repeated angrily. "I'll have you know, I had just travelled back in time a thousand years. You try it and see if it doesn't mess you up. Oh, wait. You did. And you ended up running around naked and scaring a bunch of Welsh villagers!" She was pointing at him, barely even coming up to his shoulders.

A slightly shocked Arthur stood back and gaped. This woman had some fire! It's no wonder Merlin was clearly so taken with her. Even now, he was watching her berate him with a sappy puppy-dog look in his eye. But what she saw in Merlin, he would never know.

He held out his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Calm down, my lady. I did not mean to insult you."

She seethed and huffed. Then she glanced at Merlin. He was giving her a 'he's a prat, but what can you do?' look. She sighed.

"So," Arthur said to Merlin. "Travelled back in time? Is she a sorcerer like you?"

Addy laughed sarcastically. "Like him? I have no magic. And he's, well, he's _Merlin_. The greatest sorcerer ever to have lived. He's doesn't_ have_ magic, Arthur. He _is_ magic. Do you really not know that?"

Arthur did not, apparently. "'_Is_ magic?' Him? What is that supposed to mean?" He laughed.

A fierce wave of protectiveness surged inside her. "You really don't know anything, do you? Do you know how many times he saved your life? Or what it was like for him to live at Camelot with the constant fear of exposure and death hanging over his head? Or what it was like for him to be put down and picked on and never get any recognition? He's always been there for you, Arthur. Believing in you, counseling you, saving you. And yet, you still treat him like he's an idiot and nothing more than your servant!" She had no idea where all this had come from. The intensity of the emotions were scaring her, and yet, she still couldn't stop herself. "You would be nothing without him! Just show him a little respect!"

She realized that they were both gaping at her. Feeling embarrassed but still angry, she said, "Look. I'm tired. I'm freezing. And I'm starving. Just... get in the car." And with that she walked past them and climbed into her driver's seat, leaving the two of them frozen where they stood.

Arthur was the first to recover. "Are all women from this age like that?" He asked with equal parts revulsion and curiosity.

Merlin shrugged, a bemused smile lingering about his eyes. "I don't know. But I've never met anyone like her. Not in a thousand years."

**Author's note- **

**So this was my attempt to right some of the wrongs Merlin has had to suffer. :( Hope it was okay. I know it was pretty brief. **

**As always Reviews are welcome. BIG thanks to all of you who have reviewed so far. I believe there will be four more chapters after this one. And things are about to get a little dangerous for our trio... the Afanc is coming!**


	10. Chapter 10

The Lost King—Chapter 10

Merlin, for some reason, couldn't stop smiling. Across the booth sat his friend and King rapturously enjoying a plate of chips and a burger. Next to him was the girl who not only saved his life, but had, in one blow, told Arthur everything he had ever wanted to say. All he wanted to do right now was bask in the perfection of the moment.

Addy, however, was not sharing in Merlin's glee. She was miserable. She couldn't look Arthur in the eye. What on earth had gotten into her? Where had that little tirade come from? The depth of emotion that had come out of her was terrifying. She knew that she deeply cared for Merlin, but until then, hadn't known just how much. She had never, _ever_ felt this way about anyone or anything before in her life. True love was not something she had ever believed in. She pulled her jacket closer around her and slunk even further into the booth.

"Merrin dese er uhmazine!" Arthur mumbled, shoveling yet another handful of chips into his mouth. He swallowed and suddenly called out, "My compliments to your chef!" to the curious looks of the other cafe patrons. The old lady in a pink-striped shirt who had taken their order simply rolled her eyes and smiled. Everyone else pretended not to be staring at the wacko in the white bathrobe and sweats.

He shoved a chip at Merlin and said, "Have you tried these? They're incredible!"

"Yes, My Lord, I have." Merlin said, trying to keep a straight face. He had noticed the awkward stares Arthur was getting from other eaters.

"And they do this with potatoes?"

"Yes."

"Incredible. Maybe this twenty-first century is not so bad after all."

"No. Maybe not."

Arthur slurped at his cola, and his eyes rolled back in his head. "Gods! What amazing food this place has!"

"Yes, My Lord."

Addy pushed around the remains of her sandwich with her fork. _Was this what her life would be like from now on? Babysitting Arthur?_ She sighed. _That wasn't fair._ Arthur wasn't an idiot, he just acted like one occasionally. Actually, he acted like a royal pain in the ass, but that was sort of to be expected. But then, sometimes, he really surprised her. Like how he treated her after her little melt down. In the car, he had actually apologized to her and to Merlin. He had said:

"_Merlin, I don't have a clue what she was going on about, but I do know you have always been the most loyal and bravest friend I ever had. I am sorry that I haven't told you that more often. I am also sorry that I do treat you like an idiotic mutton-head, when you have proved yourself to have great wisdom. I don't know where I would be without you. Honestly. And My Lady, I am sorry if I offended you, as well. I see that you care very much about him, and I am grateful that he has someone so passionate and loyal looking out for him." It had been so honest and thoughtful, Addy nearly cried. A part of her was beginning to understand why Merlin felt the way he did about Arthur, and why Arthur was the stuff of legend. _

She put down her fork and looked around the cafe. Arthur had momentarily stopped raving about the food, but the patrons were apparently desensitized to his rantings already. Her eye caught a glimpse of the TV screen, just over the counter. The screen had gone black and then a green and white test pattern had come up. Words were scrolling across the bottom of it, but she was too far away to see them. An emergency warning? About what? Panic gripped her, the dread she had been feeling for days suddenly came back full force.

She turned towards her friends. "Um, guys? I think something's going on-"

The cafe shook as a thunderous explosion rocked the street. The power died and the cafe patrons murmured anxiously amongst themselves.

There was another explosion, farther away, and without hesitation, both Merlin and Arthur flew towards the door. Addy followed close behind, more scared than she had ever felt in her life. _I knew something bad was going to happen_, she thought as she raced across the street toward the noise.

Just ahead, Merlin and Arthur dodged and weaved through the congested traffic. There was no real thought, only action. As they ran, Merlin noticed squads of military personnel heading in their direction. The shuddering noises were getting louder as well. People on the street were running away in panic and the evening sky was filled with roiling smoke.

As the rounded the last corner, they emerged from an alleyway into a war zone. Ahead was a multitude of militia firing into a thick bank of dense cloud so tall, it dwarfed the nearby buildings. In the street, dozens civilians were in terror. The army had blocked off the front and a series of traffic accidents had blocked off the exit to the back. Now, they were cornered in a narrow, dead-end street, surrounded on all sides by tall, imposing buildings. The only way out was ahead, toward whatever horror lay within the smoke.

The last of the weaponry discharged and the soldiers fell silent. Merlin, Arthur, and Addy climbed over cars and rubble trying to get closer to them. Suddenly, from within the vast fog blanket, came an ear-splitting roar. Shattered glass rained down upon them, and they ducked under a toppled bus.

Addy reached out for Merlin's hand. He was trembling just as much as she. But in his eyes, she could see a battle-harded look of determination.

Arthur peered around the bus. The smoke was clearing and a shape began to emerge. It was black, with large out-spread wings, large powerful claws, and a monstrous head. It's teeth were dripping with blood and debris. It roared again and charged the blockade of army men. They tried to fire upon it, but nothing seemed to harm the foul creature. It chewed and clawed its way through the machinery, tanks, and armored vehicles like they were made of bread and cheese, not metal and men. The ranks decimated, the remaining soldiers fled in terror through the already crowded streets. But they were trapped along with everyone else.

"What is that thing?" Arthur nervously asked.

It took Merlin a second to find his voice. When he spoke, it was as an old man, cracked and raw. "That... is the _Afanc!_"

**Author's note-**

**Sorry to leave you like this, but I will post the next few chapters as soon as I can. In the meantime, a preview:**

**-Arthur finds his voice**

**-Our heroes must face the monster. One will fall.**

**-And one will rise.**

**-And finally, the last hero will learn discover something they never knew about themselves.**

**(Don't you just love previews? They're my favorite part!) Until next time...**


	11. Chapter 11

The Lost King—Chapter 11

"What's an _Afanc_?" Addy asked, feeling rather stupid.

Merlin was still shaking. "Evil. Pure, unmatched evil. It's gets it's strength from the fear it exudes. It shouldn't be here. The power of the Old Religion has always kept it at bay. How has it escaped?"

Arthur looked back around the bus. The _Afanc_ was lumbering slowly forward. It was taking its time, toying with the desperately frightened citizens in the street. In a few more minutes, it would be at the barricade, and they would have nowhere to go. It stopped, lifting its head, and sniffed the air. Then it did something no one expected; it spoke.

The voice was booming and ancient. It contained the weight of all its years of slavery in each raspy syllable. It said, "SORCERER. I KNOW YOU ARE HERE. I SMELL YOU. COME OUT. COME AND TASTE THE VENGEANCE OF THE _AFANC_. IF YOU COME TO ME, I WILL NOT HAVE TO KILL THESE PEOPLE TO FIND YOU."

Arthur turned to look at Merlin, who was trembling visibly. "It wants me." Merlin said weakly. "It will kill everyone here to get to me." He stood up.

"No!" Addy cried. "You can't!"

He bent down to her and kissed her lightly. "I'm sorry. I have to," he said.

"Wait!" Said Arthur, grabbing his arm. "This creature won't stop when you are dead. What about all these people? Sometimes, Merlin, you're too brave for your own good. What we need is a plan."

Merlin looked around at the destruction the _Afanc_ had already caused. He considering Arthur's words. "The _Afanc_ is a creature of fear. It's source of power is the fear it creates." He paused, lost in thought. "If we could get these people to not be afraid, then it might lose its power."

Addy stood up and shouted, "But have you seen what that thing can do? How would we get them to not be afraid?"

Arthur knew. He had seen enough battles to know how to fight fear. "Leave that to me."

Merlin looked him over solemnly. "These are still you're people, Arthur. And you are still their king."

Arthur bowed his head. "I know. I will not leave them to be killed by that thing!" He took stock of their situation. "I'll need to get to the top of that barricade, where they can see me." He said, pointing to the pile of Army tanks and tossed cars a several meters in front of them.

"But the _Afanc_ will see you, too." Addy stated worriedly.

"Then, what I need is a distraction." He said to Merlin.

Merlin inhaled deeply, and his blue eyes deepened to the color of night. "I'll do what I can with my magic. That should slow it down, at least." His eye was caught by a particular piece of debris. "Wait here, I have an idea." He darted around the side of the bus.

"Merlin!" Arthur called out after him. "Don't do anything stupid!"

Merlin gave him a half-smile, and then turned around. He picked up a fallen street sign off the ground. "_F__léw, geedhíw__e._" He said, and magic flowed from him into the metal. Instantly, the pole reformed into a sturdy, sharp sword.

"Ha!" Arthur said, and took the offered sword. He turned it back and forth, examining its magical craftsmanship. "Not bad."

"Addy," Merlin pleaded, "stay with Arthur. He will keep you safe."

The look in his eyes was too intensely serious to ignore. All she could do was nod her agreement. "Come back to me," she whispered.

"Oh," Merlin said, turning back to Arthur, "one more thing." He placed his hand on Arthur's throat and said, "_Micle_." Briefly, Arthur noticed his eyes turn from midnight blue to sunrise gold and back again.

Rubbing his throat, Arthur asked, "What did you do? Was that magic?"

"Don't worry. It was just to help you speak to the crowd." Merlin answered.

Arthur clapped Merlin on the shoulder. "Well, then, come on! We don't have any time to lose. That creature won't wait forever." He followed Merlin as they made their way to the front of the barricade. The _Afanc_ was watching the scurrying people down below, smiling to itself. It was in no hurry, it wanted to savor the moment of its victory.

Arthur, Merlin, and Addy scrambled to the top of the piled up tanks and cars. They scanned the crowd of people below. Everywhere they looked were terrified, frightened people desperately trying to free themselves from their situation. A few souls noticed them and stopped their chaotic scrambling in order to see what they were up to.

Merlin turned to Arthur, and with as strong and confident of a voice as he could manage, confided, "In case this doesn't work, I just want you to know that it has been an honor to serve you, My Lord."

Arthur saw the pain in his eyes, and the toll of loneliness his long life had taken on him as well. _How could he have taken Merlin for a fool? How did he not notice how extraordinary he truly was?_ He was starting to understand what Addy meant by saying that Merlin _was_ magic. He grabbed his shoulder in a gesture of brotherhood and nodded. "The honor has been mine."

Arthur looked over the crowd, but before he began to address them, he turned once more to Merlin. The blue in Arthur's eyes looked like the ocean at dusk; endless, mysterious, and sorrowful. "Be safe, don't do anything foolish on my account. Not this time."

Merlin tried to answer, but the_ Afanc_ had noticed his presence and resumed chaotically destroying the bulidings and vehicles in its path. It would be upon them within a matter of seconds. He had to act now, in order to give Arthur a chance to carry out his plan. With one last passionate look at Addy, he jumped down over the side of the barricade and went to face the beast alone.

As he hit the ground, Addy's heart stopped, and her body froze. This was it. Merlin had gone to face the _Afanc_ and she knew from the look he had given her, he did not expect to win.

With a triumphant roar, the beast addressed Merlin. "GOOD. GOOD. I HAVE WAITED EONS TO HAVE MY REVENGE UPON YOUR KIND. I WILL MAKE QUICK WORK OF YOU, AND WHEN YOU'RE BLOOD RUNS IN THE STREETS, I WILL RULE ONCE MORE!" Faster than any creature that size should have been, it snapped its jaws at Merlin's head. He recoiled backward, feeling the blazing heat and smelling the foul reek of its breath.

_I have to keep it busy, keep all its attention focused on me. I have to buy Arthur some time_, he thought frantically. "Hey!" Merlin shouted up at the _Afanc_, "Stinky breath! You could really use some mouthwash!" The creature ran for him, but Merlin zipped underneath its belly and circled it. It spun around in anger. Merlin shot a look at Arthur that said, _This is your chance! _Then, he turned all of his attention back to the fight at hand.

Arthur stood up, drawing the sword with him and called out, his voice magically amplified so that all below could hear. "CITIZENS OF ALBION! MY NAME IS ARTHUR AND I WAS ONCE YOUR KING!"

At this, many fear-struck faces turned to him. Most thought, _Why is this crazy man in a bathrobe telling us he was our king? He's just going to get us all killed! _But as Arthur began to speak, his words stirred something long dormant in their very souls. Duty. Nobility. Loyalty. And the more Arthur talked, the more they _really_ listened. More and more people stopped their mad dashes for freedom and turned in enraptured silence. _Could it really be true? Could he be the King Arthur? _They weren't certain, but they did know that this man, whoever he may be, was someone worth listening to.

Arthur continued, "WHILE I RULED, I STRIVED TO MAKE A KINGDOM RULED BY FAIRNESS AND JUSTICE, A PLACE WHERE NO ONE NEED BE AFRAID! BUT THIS CREATURE, THIS _AFANC_, HAS DESTROYED WHAT I WORKED MY LIFE TO ACHIEVE. SO, I'VE COME BACK TO YOU NOW TO TELL YOU THAT YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE AFRAID ANY LONGER! MERLIN AND I WILL NEVER ABANDON OUR PEOPLE!"

They then noticed the lone figure, darting around in front of the _Afanc_. He seemed so small by comparison, so weak, and yet he must be incredibly brave to face that thing alone. The crowd began to move forward, climbing atop cars for a better look at the foolishly courageous young man.

Arthur was still speaking, but his voice was so strong now he didn't need the magical amplification. All the people were deeply moved by the power in his words. "WE WILL ALWAYS COME WHEN ALBION'S NEED IS GREATEST. I WILL NEVER ABANDON MY PEOPLE. FOR I AM KING ARTHUR, AND BY MY LIFE I WILL ALWAYS PROTECT YOU!" He raised his sword high into the air, and it was like he transformed in front of their eyes from a pajama-wearing lunatic to a warrior king dressed in royal white. An electrified cheer went up from the people below.

The cheer sent the _Afanc_ into a frenzy. Something had changed. It felt weaker. The sorcerer must be the cause. He could not be allowed to live anymore. Enraged, it swiped a clawed hand the size of a van at Merlin.

Merlin fell to the ground, missing it by a mere breath. He, too had heard the cheer go up from the crowd and knew it was time to strike. As the _Afanc_ pulled back for another blow, Merlin rose with a determined roar, and let the full fury of his power go. Lighting flew from his hands, pounding the _Afanc_ full in the chest.

Worried onlookers watched in a trance as he called lightning out of thin air. _Who was this person? __Was it him? Was it Merlin? __Were __all __the legends real? _But they cheered him on regardless as he zapped the beast or dodged the snapping jaws. Whoever this dark-haired young man was, he was their hero.

Something was going wrong. The plan wasn't working. The creature gave only a beastly laugh and kept coming for him. _It should have hurt it at least,_ Merlin thought. Panic rose, but he squashed it down as he darted away from the claws and teeth of the creature. Again, Merlin called upon his magic, summoning lightning. And Again. And Again. He slammed his fist to the ground, causing the earth to shake and crack, yet nothing would halt the beast. And Merlin was growing tired. He stumbled to the side, scooting back on his hands, barely in time. How much longer could he keep this up?

Addy couldn't breathe, every muscle in her body was tensed. His magic wasn't working, and she could tell he was losing the fight. "Get out!" She cried, but was too late. The beast swooped a massive, clawed hand straight at Merlin's heart. Only this time, he wasn't fast enough. It caught him full in the chest, and Merlin flew through the air as if he was made of sand. He landed awkwardly in a bank of snow at the edge of a tree-filled lot and didn't move.

Addy screamed his name and ran for him. Nothing mattered except him. She dropped over the barricade, ducked between tossed cars, and leapt over chunks of fallen concrete. Somehow she would have to find a way past the _Afanc_ in order to get to Merlin. She was so desperate, though, she didn't care if it came for her or not. All she could do was to keep her eyes glued to Merlin's still form and run.

Arthur had watched Merlin do his best to stop the monster, waiting for him to prevail. But when the _Afanc_ finally struck Merlin, something in Arthur snapped. He had lost many men in battle before, but none had ever affected him like this. Deep rage mixed with pain roiled within him, and he realized that the beast had probably just killed his one true friend.

He took up the sword and held it high overhead. With every ounce of authority, every shard of pain, and every drop of righteous anger, he cried, "FOR MERLIN!"

Without hesitation, Arthur surged over the barricade and ran headlong into certain death.

**Author's note-**

**What can I say, I like the big, dramatic moments. :) **

**As always, please review! Curious as to whether you think Merlin survived or if Arthur will prevail. Hmm, and what about Addy? Don't count her out just yet. ;)**


	12. Chapter 12

The Lost King—Chapter 12

The people watched in horror as their hero was struck down. They, too, felt Arthur and Addy's anguish. And when the fair-haired King hopped the barricade, sword held high and proud, the crowd took up Arthur's cry. It started softly at first but it grew with frenzied fervor. "FOR MERLIN!" They chanted. "FOR MERLIN!"

"ANOTHER PUNY WARRIOR, COME TO MAKE MY DINNER,_"_ the _Afanc_ hissed, as Arthur rushed towards it. "YOU SHALL DIE LIKE THE OTHER." As it opened its razor-lined mouth, it felt a strange sensation. Pain coursed through its head. It had never felt pain like this. Nothing could hurt the _Afanc_, and yet, it was losing its power. With watery yellow eyes it scanned the growing crowd of people. They were yelling something, together. Face after face was set in grim defiance, and suddenly the Afanc knew what was wrong. They weren't scared. Fear was its greatest weapon, _and they were not afraid._

Suddenly, a sharp pain erupted in its gut. It looked down. The blonde warrior was standing below, his sword thrust up inside its cavernous belly. There was a look of unflinching anger in the warrior's eyes. The _Afanc_ screeched and reeled, tossing the warrior to the side. It batted at Arthur, but he was too quick for it. Ducking under the swing, he rolled aside and grabbed the sword from the creature. He stabbed again, aiming higher now, and the_ Afanc_ screamed as the blade struck home just beneath its ribcage. Black, thick blood gushed forth, wetting the sloshy snow-covered ground.

The people were no longer just chanting now. Seeing that the_ Afanc_ could be harmed, they rushed at it in an crazed frenzy. They brandished whatever weapons they could find: scraps of metal, chunks of rock. It was all over now for the creature. As the mob of angry desperate people descended, the last of its powers fled and it was left utterly defenseless. But it was Arthur, who ended its reign upon the earth. With a mighty swing, he brought down his sword and plunged it deep into the _Afanc'_s dark, corrupted heart. The gigantic black beast shuddered, the light in its yellow eyes dimming. Arthur climbed down from atop its scaly hide and planted the sword into the ground.

Then, a new chant rose up through the crowd. "Arthur! King Arthur!" And as they cheered, they lifted him into the air and carried him about on their shoulders. "King Arthur has returned!"

-(0)—(0)-(0)-

Merlin lay face down, surrounded by the clouds of snow. Addy had flown to him as fast as she could, using Arthur's attack as her distraction. _I can't lose him_, she pleaded to the heavens. _He must live._

She fell at his side, and rolled him carefully over. The snow around him was stained in crimson and blood covered his sweater. Huge, deep claw-shaped gashes were imbedded into his skin. Trembling, she placed a hand to his neck and took his pulse. There was none.

A deep, grieving cry escaped her lips. "Nnnnnnnoooo!" She wailed, and pulled the lifeless Merlin to her chest. _He can't die_, she thought over and over, her heart bursting in pain. _He can't die!_

But there was no response. He was gone, and there was no coming back. She laid upon his neck as her body was racked with shuddering cries.

_He can't die._

He can't die.

HE CAN"T DIE.

Just that thought, over and over. It swam through her pain-soaked heart and rippled over her soul. _How could she lose him now? Now that she had fallen so hard, had given so much of herself?_ She could feel the shreds of her soul and knew that, without Merlin, she would never recover. It was her desperation that awakened something deeply dormant within her. Some strength, some power, lying in the very core of her being. With no conscious thought, she placed her left hand upon his heart. Meanwhile, she plunged her right hand deep into the snow, heedless to the bite of cold. She needed to touch the earth. She needed to feel the life in it. Her hand hit frozen ground and she closed her eyes. She reached out to the earth, trying to find its lifeforce, and it came to her like the heartbeat of a giant; slow and lumbering. She could feel the energy of it, the power of life locked in the very core of the earth itself. There was the source of all magic. With all her strength she pulled it to her. _Merlin can't die_, she demanded of the earth.

She looked down at Merlin's chest. Her hands were now washed in a rosy pink light, spreading out from her and across his lacerated body. Soon he was completely encompassed by the light. She had no idea what she was doing or how she was doing it. But it didn't matter. All that mattered was him.

She became aware that someone had joined her. They were standing just off to the side. It was Arthur. He wasn't saying anything, just watching. But she was glad that he was there. She turned to him, and said painfully, "Merlin can't die."

Arthur knees buckled and he fell to the ground. _Merlin was dead_? _Why was there a weird pink glow around him?_ The girl was huddled up next to him, her hand upon his chest. She had a wild, fierce look in her eye that Arthur dared not question. He closed his eyes, saying a silent good-bye to his dearest, truest friend.

Suddenly, the glow became a brilliantly blinding light. Even though his eyes were closed, Arthur shielded them with his hands. And then, it was over, just as quickly and mysteriously as it had began.

"What-" Arthur began, when Merlin shot up, sucking in air with tremendous gulps. "You-you're alive!" Arthur cried and embraced him.

Merlin gaped wide-eyed, unsure of anything. Arthur was hugging him and he had come back from the dead. _Had the world gone mad?_ "How-?" He looked to Addy, who was kneeling by his side, head bowed.

Addy simply lifted her head weakly and breathed, "Merlin can't die." Then, she collapsed into the pillowy snow.


	13. Chapter 13

The Lost King—Chapter 13

When Addy awoke only seconds later, both Merlin and Arthur were hovering over her like a pair of worried puppies.

"Are you okay?" Merlin asked, his face full of concern.

She smiled brightly, lighting her whole up. _Of course she was okay. He was alive!_ "Are you?" She asked.

"Yeah, actually. For someone who has just been skewered by an evil demon-dragon...I feel pretty good!"

She responded to this by pulling him down into the snow for a relieved and passionate kiss. Arthur, meanwhile, pretended not to notice.

When at last Merlin broke free, he said, "Addy, what happened? Arthur said there was some sort of strange red glow around me and then I just woke up."

She had no idea how to answer that question, because she didn't know herself. "I couldn't lose you. It was all I could think about. And then, it was like I could feel how to bring you back, like the earth was telling me how."

Puzzled, he looked at her, his eyes like a crystal stream of purest water. "Addy, do you have magic?"

Magic? She had never done anything out of the ordinary her entire life. Well, until she travelled in time and met Merlin. "No, I don't think so. I really don't know what happened."

Arthur returned, looking worried. "Sorry to break this up, but there's a bunch of people heading this way. I just thought I would let you know."

"People?" Merlin asked, looking towards the direction he was pointing. "Why?"

"Well, I guess it's because I defeated that _Afanc, _and they think we're heroes now." He paused dramatically, "Oh, and probably because they saw you shoot lightning from your hands."

"Oh. Right." Merlin considered. He looked down at his blood-stained, ripped clothing. The wound underneath was entirely gone. He glanced at Addy. She _had_ brought him back. She must have magic, powerful magic. _So, why doesn't she know?_ He thought. _Why didn't I know?_ There wasn't time for these questions now. Merlin could see the crowd of people starting to make their way towards them. "We should get out of here. The last thing we need is paparazzi." He took Addy's hand, lifting her up. It was ice cold.

With a puzzled look, Arthur mulled over the word 'paparazzi', but Merlin interrupted his exhaustive mental taxation by exclaiming, "Addy, you're freezing! What's wrong?"

"Wrong?" She asked. "Oh, nothing." She waved off his concern with another smile. "That hand was just buried in the snow. Give me a sec to warm it up." She shoved her hand deep into her pocket. "Now are we going to go-" She felt something in her pocket. Something small, burning her hand. "What's this?" She said, pulling it out.

It was a small gold coin. It glinted in the remaining daylight, bouncing amber rays into her eyes.

"What's that you've got?" Asked Arthur.

"Just something that odd little doctor at the hospital gave me." Absently, she tossed him the coin. She watched it tumble through the air as if it were in slow motion, as she recalled his voice. Then, she remembered all that he had told her. Exactly what he had warned her of as she left the hospital:

"_Oh, look." Dr. Bretir said, stooping down and picking up a little glinting object off the hallway floor. He barely looked at it, as if he already knew exactly what it was doing there. "A coin. Here." He handed it to her. She could see the side she was holding had the face of a king. A king she knew. She turned it over. On the other side was the silhouette of her wizard. _

"_What is this? I don't understand?" She asked. The doctor was grinning now, but he no longer seemed small to her. His presence filled the space in the hallway as if he was somehow much larger than what he appeared. _

_His voice echoed down the empty corridor, implanting itself deep within her mind. "Two sides of the same coin. That is what has been said of them. But there is so much more than that to it. When one side rises, the other must fall. And as one falls, the other will rise. And the hand of fate keeps turning it, over and over, in an endless dance. Do you understand?" _

_She shook her head. Of course she didn't understand. He was being especially cryptic, and she hated riddles. Also, the room was spinning slightly and she wasn't entirely sure she was still standing on the floor. What was happening to her? _

"_Don't worry. One day you will. For now, keep the coin. As a token from me." _

_She slipped the coin into her pocket. Why couldn't she focus her eyes? The hallway kept waving in and out, like she was underwater. _

"_Good. Now, before I return you, there is one more thing about coins you must understand. _And this is the most important part_,"__ His voice lowered until he was barely more than whispering, and yet, it felt far louder in her head than anything else he had previously said. He placed his small hand upon her wrist and stared up at her. She could see flecks of gold shining behind his glasses. "__Most people think there are only two sides to a coin. But they are wrong. There are not two sides, Addy Singleton. There are _three_."_

Addy snapped back to the present with a jolt. The doctor had used magic on her! Who was he? And why did he tell her all that stuff about coins? One side rises, the other falls. Merlin and Arthur? What was that all about? And what did he mean by three sides? Coins don't have three sides.

"Addy, you alright? You look a little...unnerved." Merlin said with concern.

She nodded slowly, still unsure about what had happened. She was wrestling with how to tell him what had happened to her.

"We had better get going, that crowd won't take long to figure out where we are. Come on, follow me." Merlin said, leading them through the mess of overgrown trees in the small city lot. They could hear the sounds of the people getting louder behind them. Even the failing sunlight wouldn't keep them hidden long. Merlin paused them in a small, open space of piled up dirt. His eyes flashed momentary as he held out his hand, fingers spread wide. Fog rose up from the frozen ground, covering the trees in a thick, impenetrable blanket. "That should keep them busy," Merlin said.

The area they were in was the only space not completely blanketed by fog. The trees they had come through formed a murky border. They could just make out the last of the sunset as it turned the surrounding fog into fuschia-tinted cloud. Arthur looked around at their strangely clear little circle, and all he could think was, "Great, Merlin. So, how do we get out of here?"

Just as he spoke, a strange electric hum began to fill the air. A lilting melody danced about them, coming from nowhere and everywhere at once.

"What's that?" Arthur asked, spinning around trying to peer through their misty fortress.

In a shocked voice, Merlin said, "Magic. It's magic! Strong magic. I haven't felt anything like it before. Addy are you-" He turned back to look at her. She was standing perfectly still, as if frozen. There was a rosy aura around her. But her normally warm hazel eyes were now desperate and scared. Whatever was happening to her was not of her doing.

Suddenly, next to her, thin, shimmery magical beings materialized into the air. They encircled her quickly and completely, calling, "The queen! The queen has been found!"

Merlin tried to reach her, but even with his magical reflexes he was too slow. With a last desperate plea for help, Addy vanished.

"Noooo!" Merlin yelled and fell upon the spot where she had just been.

Arthur spun around again. "What happened? Where is she?" He shouted.

In unbearable anguish, Merlin replied, "She was taken. Taken by the _a__es sídhe. _The fairies! She-she's gone and I don't know how to get her back."

**Author's note-**

**One more chapter left, just a little bridge between this book and the next. I will put the final book in the trilogy up as soon as I can. It will be called "Queen of the Wild Magic" and it will, hopefully, answer many of the questions I've raised in the the last two stories. Thank you all for sticking with it so far, I hope you have enjoyed it. Last chapter up soon! And as always I love hearing from you, so please review!**


	14. Chapter 14

Epilogue

Big Tom liked to take his morning tea at Maggie's Cafe. He liked it there because there was no where else in his small village that served a passable tea. Also, it was the only time during his day, save sleeping, when he didn't have to listened to Gareth and his never-ending chatter.

Tomos scratched his thickly covered head of hair and pulled up a stool to the counter at Maggie's. There were only two other patron's in the cafe this morning, which actually made Tom rather pleased.

He whistled at the counter girl, and said, "Cuppa, love."

A pudgy young girl with brightly flushed cheeks nodded and went to grab the pot. As she walked past the small television screen on the back counter, the screen flashed to the morning news.

"Turn it up, would ya?" Tom asked. The girl poured his tea and then raised the volume on the set.

"_- fled in the night," _the anchorwoman announced in stern, serious tones_. "And now for our top story, we go live to Robbie Patel who is in Cardiff, at the scene of what can only be described as a war zone. Robbie?"_

The story flashed to images of destruction, toppled cars, army mobilization, and scores of confused and frightened people. A man's voice was heard over pictures,_ "Thanks, Jen. I'm here this morning in Cardiff after a terrible night in which the army was called out to deal with what locals say was an attack by a 'wild animal of enormous size'. Witnesses describe a lizard-type creature the size of a building that decimated a group of armed military troops and civilians caught who were caught in the crossfire." _The middle-aged Indian reporter appeared, holding a microphone. He was walking through rubble-strewn streets and caved-in buildings. _ "However, despite the devastation you can see around me, there has yet to be any official statement as to what actually took place. We've attempted to reach the army for confirmation, but so far, they have been strangely silent. And the body of the beast in question has yet to be found." _The camera shifted to a pre-recorded video showing a huddled group of weary-eyed people._ "I talked to one of the survivors of the ordeal and here is what he had to say." _

The image flashed again to a middle-aged man and his young son. Off camera, the reporter asked,_ "What can you tell us about the 'creature' that attacked you?"_

The man looked warily at the camera, and then down at his son._ "It was not just an animal. Huge, taller than those buildings there. Like a dragon, it looked. The army, they put up that barricade," _he turned and pointed to a heap of vehicles and rubble in the middle of the street,_ "but they couldn't slow it down, not with all their weapons. It just... ate them up." _He finished uncertainly.

"_Ate them up?" _Robbie said skeptically.

"_Aye. Huge jaws it had. Chewed through man and metal alike. Nothing would stop it." _He placed a hand upon his son's shoulder and his eyes grew distant.

The reporter pressed on,_"So, what happened then?"_

"_There was a man. Two actually. One man went out to face that...thing...alone. And he..."_ the man paused, as if worried.

Robbie asked, _"He what?"_

"_He-he blasted it... with some sort of lightning..." _there was a long, pregnant pause,_ "from his own hands."_

"_Wait..." _Robbie seemed suspicious._ "Lightning? That's not possible."  
_

The man nodded_, "I would say so myself, except I saw it. My boy saw it too. All of us did." _He motioned to the crowd around him and they nodded and murmured their agreement, so he grew more confident in his speech._ "Then, the other, a well-built blonde fellow, he got up top there and began shouting to us. He said...he said his name was King Arthur. And that the fellow fighting the dragon was...Merlin."_

"_King Arthur and Merlin? Really?" _The sarcastic tone was now very evident in the reporter's voice.

With a completely serious expression, the man replied,_"Yes, sir. We were there, we heard what he said to us, about how he had returned to protect us...and, well...we believed him. We all believed him."_

"_You really believe it was the King Arthur?"_

"_Yes. Absolutely." _He stated emphatically._  
_

The video panned back to the newscaster, now live._ "And it was the same with all of those who were present, Jen. They all claim to believe that it was Arthur and Merlin that saved their lives last night."_

The female anchorwoman was back,_ "That's incredible, Robbie. All those people claim to have not only seen a dragon, but Merlin and Arthur as well?"_

Robbie answered,_ "Yes, and I felt the same way as you, until I came across this mobile footage. Keep in mind the video quality is poor, but I think you can make out enough to be able to decide for yourself." _

A shaky, pixelated video began, showing what looked like a large, blurry, black mass being struck with blueish-green lightning. It zoomed in to the source of the lightning. Clearly, it was a man, tall, skinny, with curly dark hair. Incredibly, he was shooting powerful bolts of electricity, although it seemed as though there was nothing in his hands. People behind the camera could be heard cheering him on. He ducked as the undecipherable black blob came for him. Then, the dark-haired man yelled something and hit the ground with his hand. The camera rocked back and forth violently, as though the earth was shaking. More cheers. This went on for several more seconds, until the blurred shadow struck again. Only this time, the man was clearly hit by it and sent flying through the air. Screams from the crowd. The camera zoomed out and panned around dizzyingly. It came to rest upon a different figure at the top of a tank. He was handsome, tall, and strangely, in a white bathrobe. Also, he was holding a heavy sword high above his head. Then, clear as day, his voice could be heard, cutting through all the other garbled noises from the video. _"FOR MERLIN!"_ He shouted. And the entire crowd, including the cameraperson, echoed it. The screen went dark.

"_Wow," _Jen said._ "That's pretty amazing, Robbie. And the one in the robe, he's claiming to be King Arthur?"_

"_Yes, Jen. And we believe that the one seen battling whatever that dark-shaped thing is, is Merlin."_

"_Unbelievable. Truly unbelievable. And have you been able to speak with either of these two men?"_

"_No, they apparently disappeared last night, just after this whole ordeal. The local law enforcement are asking for any information about their whereabouts, however. They have provided us with these pictures of the two men, gathered from cell footage."_

Two familiar images popped on the screen, side-by-side. Big Tom didn't hear any of the rest of the story. He was already out the door, in search of Gareth. As he headed for the quay, he scratched his beard and fretted. It was the same expression he always wore when he was wrestling with an especially troublesome catch. He had known from the start that blonde fellow was different. Everything about him had seemed off. Then, the nagging thought that had troubled him suddenly solidified in his mind. _The island_. That strange lump of overgrown rock that had appeared as if out of nowhere. His step quickened. Determined, he headed for his boat, thinking only about how badly he wanted to go check out that island.

Tomos never made it to his boat. By the time he got to the marina, the world around him had erupted into an orgy of creation. Big Tom was thrown from his feet, as impossibly large tree roots pushed their way up out of the graveled road. Grass grew over the pathway as if it wished to devour him where he lay. He pushed himself up to his feet quickly, and spun around where he stood. Trees and vines, grass and brush were all sprouting from the earth, engulfing the little shops and houses of the village. People screamed and ran from their homes as they were rapidly turned into mossy-covered hills. It was as if a great, green blanket had been tossed over the whole town.

Tomos looked to the water at the marina and his mouth fell open. Sunning themselves upon the newly carpeted docks were scaly-skinned mermaids. Upon the ships, danced sprites and elves. And in the water, large white horses played, flicking each other with their fins. Reality had simply ceased to exist, as the earth sought to erase the handy-work of man.

Next to him, a tall ash tree sprouted and then instantly shot for the sky. Tomos took this as a sign. Of what, he wasn't quite sure. He rubbed his head and pulled out his favorite pipe. "Welp," he commented to no one in particular, "guess dis is what comes from mixin' wit wizards." He lit his pipe, and continued on his way.

**Author's note-**

**Well, if you liked this story the sequel called "Queen of the Wild Magic" is up now. It will finish up the story of what happens to Addy, Merlin, and Arthur. Look for more magic, more drama, more action, and, of course, more romance. Also, some familiar characters will return. But will they help our heroes or harm them? Questions will be answered, friendships tested, and an ending that will leave you breathless. (Or, at least, I will try my hardest!)**

**Can't wait to hear what you think! The reviews mean so much! **


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